The Case of the Missing Duke
by C. H. Baker
Summary: Sherlcock Holmes and Watson investigate the disappearence of a duke of France, with a result that Watson would have never thought of. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I received a letter from my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, a Sunday evening citing me at his place at four. I was there at the time. I knocked on the door but there was no answer. I knocked again, no answer.

"Watson!" I heard a familiar voice call me from behind. "Just in time. I feared you would be late."

"Holmes, I'm here."

He opened the door to his apartment at 221B Baker Street. He let me in and showed me a chair in which I sat. He then pulled his cigar out and lit it with a match, I did the same thing.

"Watson," he said after releasing a few rings of smoke, "I need your help on a case. Will you help me?"

"Always, my friend."

"Good. Now, Duke Gerald, a duke of France, is giving a ceremony to the soldiers that returned from war. The problem is that duke Gerald is missing. My sources tell me that Gerald is here, at London. I'll need your help. Are you with me, Watson?"

"Always, my dear friend."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Holmes had taken out a pile of pieces of paper and had handed me some. The first of these papers was the daily news, September 13, 1889, that very day. The first page contained an article of the missing duke, Duke Claude Gerald. It had a picture of him, the man seemed to be a little over forty, was bearded and had brown curly hair. The article contained more imformation about when he was lastly seen, and more about the ceremony he was going to be giving in a week.

"Well, my dear Watson, what do you think were the motives for abducting a duke a week before an important ceremony he was to give?"

"Well, Holmes, my first opinion would be that the kidnapper didn't want duke Gerald to give the cermony, but I believe that there might be deeper motives in this case."

"Exactly, Watson, that's what I think. Whoever kidnapped duke Gerald doesn't only want him to miss the ceremony. I believe this person had other reasons to want duke Gerald vanished. Now, I've been talking to some people who said they had met duker Gerald, people who live here in London. Some of them said that everybody would have a thousand reasons to want him gone, but others said hoe good Duke Gerald had been and how they thought it was impossible for someone to hate him. This suggests that or it was a personal crime, wanting duke Gerald gone, or that there were other implications."

Holmes had put off his cigar and was reading one of the papers from the pile. After he was done he said:

"I suggest we go and visit some other people here in London that had met duke Gerald. There at least some of them that can provide us more useful information for this case."

I called for a cab and ten minutes later we were sitting on it in our way to meeting other people who would be of use in the investigation.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Watson," said Holmes, we were still on the cab.

"Tell me, Holmes."

"We're gonna visit Gregory Schmidt."

"Should his name sound familiar to me? Because if it should, honestly I cant remember ever hearing it."

"No, you haven't. Gregory Schmidt has different reasons to hate Duke Gerald. I dont think that he is responsible for his disapearance, but there might be a chance that he is."

"We will find out sooner or later." I looked out the window and stared at the blue, cloudless sky. Holmes and I were on a case once again and I was surprised to see how excited I was for this. For some reason, the feeling of curiousness grew every second inside me, and I found out how much I wanted to solve this case with my friend, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, one of the most brilliant minds in Great Britain.

"We're here." anounced my companion. "Gregodry Schmidt's house."

It was a small house, painted with a dull gray and the painting was being deteriorated. The door's wood seemed in bad shape, and the frame's of the windows too. All of this made me wonder in what condition must Gregory Schmidt had lived on when he was growing up.

"Who on Earth are you and what do you want?" said a man with a strong, rough voice after the sound of an opening door.

"Hello, sir, my name is Sherlock Holmes," said my friend, "and I would like to talk to you."

"About what matter?"

"The duke of France, duke Gerald."

Gregory Schmidt raised an eyebrow, and proceeded to let us in. Holmes asked him a few questions, and Gregory Schmidt's answers were given in a tone of hatred and anger. He told us a story of how much he hated duke Gerald and how much he wanted the duke dead, but he assured us he wasnt responsible for his kidnapping. He didnt go into details about why he hated him.

Back in the cab Holmes told me:

"I don't think he did it. He hated duke Gerald, but I dont think he did it."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Our next stop was in the house of a young lady, Miss April Wolowitz. The house was big, white coloured and a big green garden decorated the place. It was really different from Mr. Schmidt's house. I knocked on Miss Wolowitz's door.

"Hello?" said a kind voice after the door was opened. I saw a young, beautiful lady. Her hair was golden and she wore a white dress.

"Hi, Miss, my name is Sherlock Holmes and my companion's name is Dr. John Watson. Can we please come in? We have to talk to you."

"Oh sure, sure, come in."

Ms. Wolowitz led us into the house, and asked us if we wanted nsome tea. I declined the offert, but my friend agreed to have some. She then brought a tray with three mugs of tea and a plate of muffins. She said the third one was if I decided to take it. I finally did.

"So, what do you gentlemen want to talk about?" said she.

"Miss Wolowitz," started my friend, "I've heard that you met Duke Claude Gerald, from France."

"Oh yes. He svaed me and my sister once."

"If you may, tell me how did he save you and your sister?"

"Me and my sister, Diana, we were in Paris to visit an aunt. We went to the store to buy some food one occassion, when a man entered the store and took us captive for many hours in the back of the store. We were later rescued, and the man was taken to prison. It turned out that the Duke had wanted to rescue us, he was informed about the situation and decided to help himself. He was the one that arrested the man."

"Can you tell me the name of this man, the one that holded you and your sister captive?"

"Yes, Gregory Schmidt."

It hit me by surprise to hear Schmidt's name in there. I never thought he would have been connected in any way with Ms. Wolowitz. But apparently he was. This had been of help, we had now the reason of why he hated Duke Gerald.

"Motive." said Holmes to me. He then turned to Ms. Wolowitz. "Can you tell me where your sister is?"

"She lives some blocks away from here."

"Thank you, Ms. Wolowitz, you've been of great help."

Back in the cab I asked Holmes:

"Holmes, didn't you said Schmidt was innocent?"

"I did."

"Then why..."

"I'm starting to think otherwise. But I am not sure. For some reason, Mr. Schmidt doesn't seem like the type of kidnapping someone for vengeance. I think if revenge is what he wanted, he would have killed him."

"So you're saying Schmidt is innocent?"

"Maybe."

"You're confusing me, Holmes."

"You'll see, my dear fellow, you will see."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Ms. Diana Wolowitz opened the door for us and led us into her house. She welcomed us and served us some tea, I once again declined it, but this time I didn't eventually take it. Holmes did. Ms. Diana seemed to be puzzled for our presence there, but she didn't dare to ask. After drinking his tea and having a small muffin, Holmes began speaking:

"Miss, I'm sure you know the duke of France, duke Claude Gerald, had disapeared."

"Oh no, that's awful! Do you have any idea who did it?"

"Actually, madame, I was hoping that maybe you could provide us some information that would lead us to the capture of the person that did it."

"Gee, what can I tell you. Duke Gerald saved my sister and me from a man called Gregory Schmidt, he locked the criminal away. We were very grateful with him for this, but I didn't see him again after this events."

"Ms. Wolowitz, do you know if your sister had any further contact with him after the events you're talking about?"

"Yes, I think she saw him for a couple of times, but I'm not sure when these encounters occured and how many they were."

"Very well. Thanks, Ms. Wolowitz, you've been of great help."

"Yes, sure, you're welcome."

"I think we should be in our way, Ms. Wolowitz. Thank you, again."

"Yes. You're welcome."

Once again Holmes and I got into a cab and went in our way. I was getting tired of this routine.

"How many more stops, Holmes?" I asked after a while, hoping that the answer I would receive were not so many.

"This was the last one, Watson." Holmes answered, and these words calmed me down. I was hoping I could go home and forget everything about this case, to rest for some time and get my mind out of Holmes and his case. I was getting really tired about being carried around for cases that Holmes hoped that I could help. "But tomorrow," there, my joy ended, "I'll need you tomorrow at 221B Baker Street. I'll explain everything then."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I was at Holmes house the next day in the same hour I had been the day before. We were smoking cigars and discussing the case, which still seemed a little confusing for me.

"But Holmes," I said, "I still don't know what we got from the people we spoke to yesterday?"

"My dear friend," said he, releasing a couple of rings of smoke, "you have to use your mind to see what I can see. Use your powers of observation and deduction and you will see what I have. When you discover the product of yesterday's affairs, you will fiind out that this case is as clear as day. Watson, when you discover the reasons and identity of the murderer, please share your theories with me."

I tried to do what Holmes told me. I used the information that we had gained the last day and tried to get the results that Holmes was talking about, but nothing would lead me to a possible murderer. It was clear that Holmes had the answer, but I didn't. I was sure that he had the answer from the beginning, but I couldn't see it. I tried to see the events of the previous days, our encounters with Gregory Schmidt and the Wolowitz sisters, Ms. April and Ms. Diana, but the only conclusion I would reach was that Gregory Schmidt had kidnapped duke Gerald as an act of vengeance for arresting him. But Holmes had told me that Schmidt was innocent, and the years had thought me that Holmes was right in cases like this. But everything pointed that way. I didn't know what conclusion had Holmes gotten, but I was sure this was right. So why wouldn't he tell me his theory? I decided to ask him:

"Holmes, I trust that you have the answer."

"I do."

"So why won't you share your theories with me?"

"Because, my dear fellow, if I tell you how can you pass the challenege?"

"Challenge? What challenge?"

"Watson, the whole case I've been observing you, seeing if you were able to find the answers that I have found."

"So you've known the whole time, and you want me to reach the conclusion you have reached? So this is just that? A challenge?"

"It is. I'm sorry if this was an inconvenience, Watson."

"No, It was not. But please, can't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, but you have to pass the challenge."

"Yes, you are right. I will try to finish the challenge. But, Holmes, can't you just tell me since when have you known the answer you were seeking, and I am now looking for?"

"Since before you arrived at my place yesterday."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I was silenced by a knocking on the door. Mrs. Hudson opened and I heard somebody say "Is Mr. Holmes in here?" I heard Mrs. hudson answer that he was, and the unknown visitor walked up stairs to meet us. He was there in a few seconds. The visitor was a tall man, had long brown hair and a clean shaven. he was carrying a blue bag under his arm.

"Mr. Holmes," this visitor said digging his hand in his bag and withdrawing a letter. He then handed it to my friend. Then the man left the room.

Holmes opened the letter and read it quickly. He finished reading the letter and seemed to be alarmed. "Watson, hurry! We have to go now!"

"What? What is going on?"

"I was hoping you would discover the answers for the case by yourself, but we have an emergency right now! Hurry I'll explain you in the way!"

* * *

The next chapter will be the last one where will be revealed the identity of the kidnapper and his reasons. Also, remember to read my new SH series: The Case of the Black Group.


	7. Chapter 7: The Final Chapter

Chapter 7: Final Chapter

"What is going on Holmes? What was in the letter?" we were on a cab in our way to somewhere written on the letter.

"The letter was from Lestrade," answered Holmes, "we are having some problems."

"What kind of problem."

"Well, Watson, I'll have to explain you the whole case so you can understand, but I'm afraid you won't be able to finish the challenge. First of all, you should know the identity of the kidnapper: its ms. April."

"Ms. April!" I exclaimed at surprise. I had expected everyone but her, I even thought that it would have been her sister before her.

"Yes, Ms. April Wolowitz. As you may remember, Ms. Diana told us that she and duke Gerald had met several times after duke Gerald had saved her. What my investigation revealed was that April and Duke Claude Gerald were having a romance. It was true, many different people afirmed it. But of course, a romance won't last forever. A couple of months Gerald finished the love between him and ms. April. Later, gerald got engaged. And a curious fact was that duke Gerald's fiancé happened to disappear last month. When I was investigating the case I came to the theory that ms. April had been the abducter of Duke Gerald, and his fiancé as well. I told Lestrade about it yesterday, just after you departed. I wanted to see if you were able to solve the case, so I put the challenge on you. But today, while we reviewed the case, Lestrade sent me a letter saying that they had found the place where Ms. April was holding Gerald and his fiancé captive, and that also she was planning on murdering both of them. The Scotland Yarders are surrounding them, but it doesn't seem to stop Miss April."

"A passional crime."

" Indeed. But we must run now, we have to arrive before she murders them both."

We arrived at a vault surrounded by Scotland Yard officers. There, Inspector Lestrade met us.

"She's in there with them," he informed, "we have tried to stop her, but she won't cooperate."

I saw how Holmes looked through a window into the vault, he then walked to us.

"She's in there, with Duke Gerald and his fiancé. She's by herself, but she seems determined to kill them. We must stop her."

"But how?" asked Lestrade.

"Go around the back, there is a door. You can enter and prevent her from killing them on time. But you'll need many agents."

"Yes." Lestrade then headed to officers of the Scotland Yard and told them the plan. He then said "everybody moving!"

Lestrade and his team did as Holmes had instructed. They sneaked behind the vault. Lestrade knocked down the door and he with the officers hurried into the place. There they saw Miss April Wolowitz holding a gun towards Duke Gerald and another woman. They ran towards her, wanting to stop them, but didn't reach her on time before she pulled the trigger. Outside I heard the shot and feared that Lestrade and his people had failed, or that one of them was injured. My suspisions were confirmed when Lestrade was carried out with a shot arm. But despite this, it had been a successful mission, for they managed to arrest April Wolowitz and had saved Duke Gearald and his bride-to-be.

"Thank's for the help, Holmes," said Lestrade while his injuries where being taken care, "but your risky plan cost me some blood."

"Don't worry, Lestrade," said Holmes, "you'll survive. We solved another case after all."

**The End**

* * *

**That was my first attempt at writting a Sherlock Holmes story. Please R&R. Remember also to check out my new Sherlock Holmes series: The Case of the Black Group. **


End file.
